Matrix for composing machines



YEWQALL June 24, 1930.,

I MATRIX'FOR comPoszu'b MACHINES Filed Dec. 25. 3.927

MU 1.. 4 a d 4 l W W & D :5, A 3 1 m a A INVENTOR.

A TTORNEVS.

Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES cmrronn YEWDALL, or GREAT NECK, NEWYonx MATRIX FOR COMPOSIN 'G MACHINES Application filed December 23,1927. Serial No. 242,063.

This invention relates to composing machines, and with respect to itsmore specific features, to the character carrier, or matrlx, of suchmachines as the linotype, the intertype, the Ludlow, and other suchmachlnes where the matrices are provided with indicating characters forthe guidance of the operator. v

The invention has particular reference to matrices of the type disclosedin they patent to P. L. Hill, No. 1,466,437, patented August 28, 1923,the contrasting color characterlstics disclosed in said patent beingalso embodied in the invention herein disclosed.

Among the objects of the invention are the provision of a practicalmatrix havlng the color characteristics disclosed in said patent, withthe consequent advantages thereof, and in which the construction 1s suchas to guard the reference character from being scratched, or worn, 1nuse; in which contrasting color closely adjacent the reference characteris maintained, notwithstanding the color of the edge of the referencecharacter may be worn at places remote from the reference character; inwhich cleaning of the reference character may readily be confined to thereference character and the field closely therearound and withoutencroaching upon the more remote colored reference character edge of thematrix, which latter need not be cleaned so often, if at all; and inwhich the outer face of the reference character is inset in the body ofthe matrix so as to be guarded and protected from abrasion when in use.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and will in partappear hereinafter. I

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction here- 45 inafter set forth and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference should as) be had to the following detailed descriptionembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a matrix embodying the invention, theembodiment being somewhat modified in respect to Fig. 1; v

Fig. 3 is a view of a plurality of matrices like those of Fig. 1assembled side by side, as for instance they would be in the assemblerof the composing machine ready for the casting operation;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing an assembly of the matrices ofFig. 2 similar to those of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail through the matrix from the referencecharacter side to the mold side.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the matrix is generallyindicated by the numeral 1. It will have the mold 2 and the referencecharacter 3, the reference character being upon the narrow edge 4 of thematrix, herein termed the reference character edge. In the embodimentsillustrated the matrix is made of metal, as for instance brass, and thereference character may be made by forming a hollow, or indentation 5,in the reference character edge 4, said hollow beingof the shape of theclesired reference character and being filled with a suitable lightcolored filling or pigment which will be firmly retained in the hollow,the outer face of the filling being flush with the surrounding surface,or field, of the reference character edge. Preferably, the filling forthe hollow is white in color soas to have strong light-reflectingquality. In order to render the reference character clearly visible andwell defined, the reference character edge closely adjacent thereference character is treated to color it in sharp color contrast tothat of the reference-character. In the embodiment illustrated thisclosely adjacentfield,indicated at 6, is dark as black. This dark fieldmay be provided by treating the field with a suitable chemical oroxidizing agent which will color the brass black. In practice, asindicated in the aforesaid patent, both the hollow and the field mayfirst be colored black by the chemicals and thereafter the white fillingis applied in the hollow over the black surface thereof.

In order that the reference character ma boldly stand out in color in adark field, and in order to avoid reflections from the refer encecharacter edge when the matrices are assembled preparatory to the linecasting operation, the reference character edge 4; of the matrix iscolored black throughout its visible extent in the assembler. Thus whenthe matrices are assembled together side by side, as illustrated inFigs. 3 or 4, the reference characters appear as bright, whitecharacters in the large, surrounding field of lack, which latterispreferably made of a subdued ligh -reflecting quality so that strongreflections will'not be'cast therefrom into the eyes of the operator. 7

"The numerals? and 8 respectively indicate upper and lower shoulders,being narrow ribs which rise from the reference edge of the matrix atpoints spaced from its upper and lower ends, and which project in rontof'the reference character and are relatively close to the referencecharacter, and

act as guards protecting the reference charactor from abraslon andw'ear,as for ni stance, from sliding contactz withanother partvof thecomposing machine. Furthermore, when the matrices are out of thecomposing ina'chine,-the shoulders? and 8 have the effectrof. guardingthe referencecharacter from contact withthe table or other surfaceon'which the matrix may lie. Nevertheless, the reference character isclearly exposed to view between the shoulders'when in the assembler, theoperator rea'dily viewing the reference character past the shoulders. I

In the embodiment illustrated in Fi 2, the reference character edge ofthe matrix is slotted, as generally indicated at 9,'the slot extendingthroughout the width of the matrix, and having rectangularly related'upper' and lower walls 10, 11 and a bottom wall or bottom 12. In thiswise the upper shoulder is formed by the intersecting walls 4: and 10,and the lower shoulder is formed by the intersecting walls l and 11, therefer en'ce character being depicted on the bottom wall 12 of the slot.In both Figs; 1 and 2 the reference character maybe formed by filling ahollow or indentation with pigment, as hEIGlllbefOiQ described, thereference character, in each instance, being inside the slot provided bythe upper and lower should,

ers, and being vis'ible through such slot.

Inpractice, instead of merely darkening the reference character edge ofthe matrix, the matrix is darkened throughout its surface bysubjectingit t6 the oxdiaing process, as hereinbefore"mentioned. This isa desirable feature as it is found that, by such treatment, dust, lint,and the like, does not for original coloring thereof.

so readily adhere to the so treated surfaces as it does to untreatedbrass surfaces of prior forms of matrices for composing machines: Inconsequence, less cleaning, brushing, and the like is required.

The coloring of the matrices, to apply the white filling in the hollowsof the matrices, is accomplished by arranging the matrices closetogether, side by side, as for instance illustrated in Fig. 3 or 4, theassembled matrices being suitably clamped together, with the shoulderslongitudinally aligning with each other, so that between the upper andlower shoulders a continuous channel 13 is provided across the referencecharacter edges of the assembled matrices. Thereupon the pigment orfilling, as a suitable quality of white paint, is brushed or spreadthroughout the channel, thus filling the hollows in the matrices,whereuponthe hottom of the channel may "be wiped with "a soft cloth,thus leaving the white filling in the hollows, the adjacent dark fieldbeing wiped clean and free, of the filling material. The shoulders 7 and8 are adapted toc'o'nfine the filling material to the channel, so

that it does not spread across the more rel, and the recoloring of thereference characters may be accomplished as just explained In therecoloring operation the frictionand consequent wear is likewise readilyconfined to the channel formed by the upper and lower shoulders, so thatthe reference characters may be recolored without danger of wearof theblack field outside the shoulders, which latter may be sufficiently darkfor practical purposes so as not to require recoloring.

By varying the depth of the slot between i the guard shoulders, thereference characters may be disposed farther back or'forward from thefront ends of the shoulders,

in each instance, however, being guarded from'wear as already described.The farther forward the shoulders project from the reference character,the more of the downward- ,ly or upwardly coming light rays are out off.

The shoulders, therefore, may have the effect of a frame, in respect tosaid light rays, and enable the operator more clearly to observe anddistinguish the reference characters, by

reason of lack of interference with vision of reflections of saidupwardly and downwardly coming rays.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction anddifferent embodiments of the invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

' Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a composing machine of the characterdescribed, in combination, a plurality of metal matrices, havingreference characters, assembled together side by side, each matrixhaving upper and lower narrow ribs between which the reference characteris exposed to view, said ribs projecting in front of the referencecharacters and longitudinally aligning with each other above and belowthe reference characters, and providing a plurality of parallel channelsacross the reference character edges of the assembly of matrices, thereference character edges of each matrix between the upper and lowerribs being in sharp color contrast to that of the reference characters.

2. A composing machine matrix made of brass and having ribs projectingfrom its reference character edge adjacent the upper and lower sides ofthe reference character, said edge, both above and below said ribs,being of oxidized brass sharply contrasting in color with the referencecharacter.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CLIFFORD YEWDALL.

